Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1887-02-04
Anecdotes Of Abraham Lincoln.
OVERCOME BY TOO MUCH TAIL
HELP ME- LET THIS HOG GO.

OVERCOME BY TOO MUCH TAIL
HELP ME- LET THIS HOG GO.
President Lincoln was fond of
impressing a point or illustrating
his opinion or desire through the
medium of a story. When General
Grant disappointed lieutenant gen.
eral the president called him aside
to speak to him privately; and af-
ter a brief reference to the military
situation he said hecOuld best Illus
trate what he wanted to say by a
story which he related. The anec-
dote isin Grants own words and was
contributed by Col. Fred. Grant to
Mr.. Allen Thorndike Rice's "Rem-
iniscences of Abraham Lincoln, by
Distinguished Men of His Time."-
The president said: SAT one time
there was a great war among the
animals, and one side mad great
difficulty in getting a commander
who had sufficient confidence in
himself. Finally they found a
monkey, of the name OF Jocko, who
said be thought he could command
their army if his tail could be made
little longer. So they got more
tail and spliced it on to his caudal
sppendage. He looked at it ad-
miringly, and then thought he
ought to have a little more STILL
This was added, and again he called
for more. The splicing process
was repeated many times, until they
had colled Jocko's tail around the
room, filing all the space. Still he
called for more tail, and there being
]
no other place 20 coil IT, they began
wrapping 1t around his shoulders.
,Ve continued his call for more,
and they kept on winding the adj
di'ional tail about him until finally
its own weight broke him down"
Gen. Grant saw the point, and
rising from his char, replied "Mr
Presid ent, will not call for more
assistance unless find it impossi'
BILE to do with the forces | already
have"
He used the same means like
wise to give vent to his feelings
Mr.. Rice gives an anecdote related
by Elk. Governor Curtin, war gov
ernor of Pennsylvania, which con
tains A striking instance OF thu
kind Governor Curtin had re
turued from the battle of Freder
} icksburg, and described it to tn
president as rather a butcher.
than a fight. The account Of tn
) horrors he had witnessed threw tn
president into a state OF nervous
: excitement, and Gov. Curtin, l
taking his leave OF the sorrowiu
. executive, said 81 trust matter
will look brighter when the ofiicl'
reports come in;" and then he ado
ed, impulsively; 81 would give a
! possess to know how to rescu
on from this terrible war"
Immediately the presidents mai
no T changed, and he relieved h
min I'd by telling the following story
" This reminds me-" he said, 81
an o Id farmer out IN illinois that
used 70 know. He took it into h
head to go into hog raising. l.
cont q YER to Europe and importe
tbe An est breed of hogs he con
buv \ 'he prize hog was put IN
nen. and the farmers two mil
cb,evous boys, James and Jon
were told to be sure not to let nj
out. But James, the worse OF q
two. let the brute out the next ia
The hog wen tstraight for the boy
: and drove john up a tree. Then
went tor the Sc. Vt of James trouseT
and the only way he could say
? himself was by holding on 10 u
hogs tail. The hog would n
, give up his hunt n or the Doy
| hold. After they h ad made go'
Q manv circles around the tree, q
8 bows courage began to give OF
t and he shouted to his brother;
- say, John, come down quick al
j, help me let this hog go.' Now go
e ernor, that is exactly my case
r wish some one would come a.
k help me let this hog go"